Momentary switch

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

Hi!

I’ve just installed a NEXA AN-179 to trigger opening and closing my garage door.
I’ve set the device to be a momentary switch since the door starts opening when you push the button (it just needs a short signal) and it stops (if it isn’t all the way up) or starts closing (if it automatically already had stopped) if you push it another time.

It shows up in vera as a device type: urn:schemas-upnp-org:device:BinaryLight:1

This means that it has a on or off state.
The problem is that I don’t want it to show any state… I just want it to be a button that starts opening the door or closing it.

I hope I’ve explained my problem clearly enough? feel free to ask me questions otherwise.

Thanks in advance!

#2

If you’re switch is working as desired and you’re only concerned about its appearance in teh GUI, then you are describing it clearly enough.

That in-wall relay module is indeed a binary switch, and you can’t change that. You can however, use the Garage Door plugin, by @RichardTScaefer, to combine your binary switch and a door/window sensor into a garage door object with Open/Close buttons. I recommend this plugin.

#3

Thank you, I will check that out!

#4

I’ll second that plug-in - been using it for about 3 or 4 years with an Insteon relay and door sensor.

#5

I have a similar issue interacting with my garage door via a MimoLite module. It shows as a binary switch. I setup a scene to turn the switch off 1 second after it was turned on and it’s been a workable situation.

#6

I do the same thing with an older relay module and it works like a charm.

#7

I think the Garage Door plug-in does that - activate the switch for a second then release it.

#8

I did also set it up like that from the beginning. I didn’t change the scene when I set up the garage plug-in and it just works!

Just what I wanted. Awesome!

#9

I do the same with a number of different window cover devices.

Where possible, I do a parameter change on the switch (if it supports that - check the doc) to set an auto-off time of say 1 second. Failing this, I create a scene that includes the one-second later ‘off’.

Then you have the aesthetic problem of the ‘switch’ gui on vera (or having to use a scene). An excellent solution is the ‘panel’ plugin. You can create a button of your choice (including a garage door icon if appropriate), and link that button to activate the scene (or to the switch activation if you sorted the auto-off in parameters).

Obviously the problem with the garage door with a single input is you have no idea of state, or whether you are going to raise or lower the door. Hence the garage door plugin is probably a good option also.